Tigmanshu Dhulia, who has made gems like ‘Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster’ and ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ in the past, is the director of this film. Dhulia evoked admiration for the manner in which he told us gripping stories without glossing over details. His rooted-to-ground films remained with you for a long time, for the passion and precision put into them, apart from many other things. And then poof! He makes a film like ‘Bullett Raja’!

Bullett Raja is a bigger disappointment than any other mediocre films made, simply because it is helmed by a damn good director, who is clearly capable of much better. In fact, the film, at best, looks like a desperate attempt by someone of inferior talent to copy ‘Dhulia’ kind of movies.

Saif Ali Khan in and as Bullett Raja

Saif Ali Khan plays the title role of a wayward, trigger-happy trouble-maker for the heck-of-it kind of a man. He rides his bike and goes about pulling his pistol at half a moment’s notice. Bullett Raja urf Raja Misra meets Rudra Tripathi in a bizarre half-baked incident when they are caught in the middle of a crossfire between two rival families. Raja, who’s just about to pick up a job and Rudra who is a courier boy turn into the henchmen of a zamindar overnight thanks to the threat to their lives. Raja and Rudra, who might have been inspired by Veeru and Jai of Sholay (there is even a reference to the classic film), become best of buddies and perhaps in a show of solidarity even sport a similar long, badly styled hairstyle.

Raja and Rudra meet a struggling starlet (Sonakshi Sinha) and in some kind of a twisted logic, she insists on staying with these gun-toting, bullet-spewing goons in their house.

And after every two scenes she tantalisingly invites the duo to different places. which include Bambai (main tumko bambai ghumaoongi translates to one dance number in a discotheque) and Kolkata (and we see all that is stereotypically Bengali crammed into one scene).

Bullett Raja and Rudra go about killing people, some out of vengeance, some in the form of attack and some well, could be just out of sheer habit. And then the predictable happens. (Revealing that would be saying too much). Saif looks cool and could even be passed off as a goon next door with a sense of style but the unconvincing script makes him more and more of a caricature than anything else. This character displays neither the flamboyance nor the irreverence that befits the title bestowed upon him. It is a pity that this film didn’t attempt to marry Dhulia’s earthy sense of humour and Saif excellent comic timing to take it to some other level.

This could easily be Sonakshi’s worst role till date. Jimmy Shergill has already proved his mettle as an actor and he gives a decent enough performance in whatever is expected of his character. Bullett Raja sorely misses the Dhulia brand of attitude and sincerity in the script and the treatment. Someone bring the real man back please, we will forgive and forget this one.